pttlliam



Patented Sept. 20, 1921.-

W/T @M A TTORNEYS UNITED STATES OSWALD S. PULLIAM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TRANSMISSION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 20, 1921.

Application filed. July 28, 1919. Serial No. 313,766.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSWALD S. PULLIAM, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in thecounty and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedTransmission, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in powertransmission mech anism, and it pertains more particularly to a drivingmechanism for vehicles of the self propelled type.

It is the primary object of the invention to provide a driving mechanismfor motor vehicles in which various speeds may be obtained without theuse of the transmission mechanism commonly employed.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means for supportingthe propeller shaft in such a manner as to permit of the foregoingoperations. 7

Referring to the drawings in which like characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures,

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of the rear portion of amotor vehicle showing one form of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line H of Fig. 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the reference character 5designates one of the side frames of a motor vehicle chassis; 6 one ofthe rear wheels, and 7 the rear axle.

In the present form of the invention, the side frames 5 of the chassisare connected by means of angle irons 8, and supported by said angleirons 8, is a plate 9, which is provided with a slot 10, the specificconstruction and utility of which will be hereinafter referred to.

The reference character 11 designates the propeller shaft leadingrearwardly of the machine from its motor and the rear end of saidpropeller shaft is squared as designated by the reference character 12.The squared end 12 of the propeller shaft 11 is connected to the rearend of the propeller shaft 11 by means of a universal joint 12. Thereference character 13 designates a connecting shaft, which shaft hasits forward end 14: socketed as at 15, said socket being rectangular incross sectional form and adapted to receive the squared end 12 of theshaft 11. Secured to the socket 15, as at 16, is a shiftlng lever 17,and said shifting lever projects upwardly through the slot 10 of theplate 9 and is provided on its upper end with an operating knob orhandle 18. The lever'17 is pivotally connected as at 16, to a ring 16,which surrounds the socketed end 15 to pen mit of rotation of saidsocketed end relative to the lever 17. Mounted on opposite sides of thering 16 are collars 17, which are immovably carried by said socketed endand which prevent movement of the ring 16 longitudinally of saidsocketed end 15.

Suitably supportedby means of resilient members 19, swung in shackles 20carried by the side frames 5 of the chassis, is a bracket 21, saidbracket being secured to the resilient members 19 by means of clips orthe like 22. This bracket 21 has an enlarged lower end 23, which isprovided with an elongated slot 2d, and in its bottom wall, said slot 24is pro vided with a groove 25.

The shaft 13 is adapted to project through the enlarged portion 23 ofthe bracket 21, and said shaft is rotatably mounted within a block 13,which block is adapted to slide transversely of the enlarged portion 23of said bracket. This block 13' is provided with a pin 26, which isadapted to engage in the groove 25 in a manner to be hereinafter morespecifically described.

Carried by the rear axle 7 is a gear wheel 27, and said gear wheel 27 isprovided on the opposite sides of its peripheral edge with teeth 28 and29.

Carried by the rear end of the connecting shaft 13 is a plurality ofgear wheels 30, 31 and 32, said gear wheels being adaptedto engage thegear teeth 28 of the gear wheel 27 to drive the same at differentspeeds.

The operation of the device is as follows:

With the several parts in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it willbe apparent that the rear axle will be driven at its lowest speed, owingto the fact that the smallest gear wheel 30 is in mesh with the teeth 28of the gear wheel 27. When it is desired to increase the speed ofrotation of the axle 7, the gear wheel 31 is engaged with the teeth 28of the gear wheel 27 in the following manner: The slot 10 in the plate 9is provided with a straight portion 30*, which terminates in a step 31which in turn terminates in a straight portion 32, said straight portion32 terminating in a step 33, which latter terminates in a straightportion 34:. On the opposite end of the straight portion the slot isprovided with a step which terminates in a straight portion 36, whichlies parallel to the straight portion 30.

By reference to Fig. 4, it will be seen that the slot 25 in the enlargedportion 23 of the bracket 21, is formed with a straight portion 30, astep 31, a straight portion 32, a step 33, and a straight portion 34,all'of which communicate-in the same manner as their relative parts'in'the slot 10 of the plate 9. The opposite end of the straight portion30 terminates in a step portion 35, and said step portion 35 terminatesin astraight portion 36.

By this construction it will be seen that as the operating lever 17 ismoved through the various angular portions of theslot 10, the pin 26 ofthe block 13 will be moved through the corresponding annular portions ofthe groove 25 in the enlarged head 23 of the bracket 21. v

Vith the parts in the'pos'i'tion shown in Figs; land "2, when it isdesired to increase thespeed of the driving axle 7, the operating lever'17 is moved into thestep portion 31 of the'slot 10 and through theaction of the pin 26 carried by the block 13, 'the'shaft 13 is movedboth transversely and longitudinally of the chassis to permit ofengagement of the gear wheel 31 with the teeth 28 of the gear wheel 27.

If it isdesired to still further-increase the speed 'ofrotation'of theaxle 7 the operating lever '17 is moved through thestep portion 34: andthis action through the engagement of the pin 26 of the step portion 31and straight portion 3 1 of the groove 25,"causes the larger gear wheel32 to engage the teeth 28 of the gear 27, the said shaft 13 movinglongitudinally and transverselyofthe chassis to permit of thisoperationtaking place.

When it is desired to reverse the rotation of the axle 7, the operatinglever 17 is brought backwardly through the slot 10 in the plate 9, untilit is in the step portion 35 thereof. With the lever in this position,the gear wheel 30 will be out of engagement with the teeth 28 of thegear wheel 27, and the shaft 13 will be free to move transversely of thechassis in order that when the lever 17 is moved through the stepportion 35 and into the straight portion '36of said slot, the gear wheel30 will engage the teeth 29 on the opposite side of the gear wheel 27 togive the reverse direction of rotation thereto.

Claims: Y

1. A driving member, a driven member, a shaft connecting the drivingmember with the driven member, aplurality of gears carried by the shaftand adapted to individually engage the driven member, means for movingthe shaft longitu'dinally'to cause individual engagement of said gears,and means for moving the shaft transversely to 'perinit'of one of thegears carried by said shaft engaging the driven member'up'on itsopposite side to reverse the direction of travel thereof.

2. Adriving -member,'a driven member, a shaft 'connectingthe' drivingmember with the driven member, a pluralityof gears carried by said shaftand adapted to individually engagethe driven member to vary the speedthereof, means for permitting longitudinal movement of said shaft tocause individual engagement of said gears with the driven member, meansproviding lateral movement of said shaft to permit of one of said gearsbeing moved to the opposite side of said driven member to drive the samein reverse direction, and meahs for o crating said shaft longitudinallyand trans= versely.

OSWALD S. PULLIAM.

